World Politics

[Tracker]

Israeli Army's Investigation Finds 'High Possibility' Soldier Killed Al Jazeera Reporter

JERUSALEM (AP) — The Israeli army said Monday there was a “high possibility” that a soldier killed a well-known Al Jazeera journalist in May, as it announced the results of its investigation into the killing. But it said the shooting was accidental and no one would be punished.

Shireen Abu Akleh was killed in May while covering Israeli military raids in the occupied West Bank. The Palestinians blamed Israel for the killing. Israel initially said she may have been killed by militant fire, but later said a soldier may have hit her by mistake during an exchange of fire.

Abu Akleh, a Palestinian-American journalist, had covered the West Bank for the satellite channel for two decades and was known across the Arab world.

In a briefing to reporters, a senior military official said the military could not conclusively determine where the fire emanated from, saying there may have been Palestinian gunmen in the same area as the Israeli soldier. But he said the soldier shot the journalist “with very high likelihood” and did so by mistake. The official did not explain why witness accounts and videos showed limited militant activity in the area, as well as no gunfire in the vicinity until the barrage that struck Abu Akleh and wounded another reporter.

“He misidentified her,” the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity under military briefing guidelines. “His reports in real time...absolutely point to a misidentification.”

The results of the probe, announced nearly four months after the killing, largely align with those of several independent investigations completed much earlier.

[Tracker]

Ukraine poised to 'bag a bunch' of Vladimir Putin's 'stupid, drunk and brutal' soldiers: military expert
   
Appearing on MSNBC on Labor Day afternoon, retired Gen. Barry McCaffrey said that Russian President Vladimir Putin is "in a box" and on the verge of suffering a humiliating defeat in Ukraine due to the unsuitability of the military forces he has been sending to prop up his invasion of the neighboring country.

As fall and winter loom, the retired general said that the Russian army has been depleted and the Russian strongman has been deploying new troops that McCaffrey dismissed as "stupid, drunk and brutal" with little tactical plans on how to use them
Speaking with MSNBC host José Díaz-Balart on Monday, the military expert says Putin has particular problems in the Kherson region of Ukraine.

"General, I am just wondering, from the 24th of February when Russians began their invasion of Ukraine, there was a lot of legend and belief in the strength of the Russian armed forces, and the effectiveness of its hierarchy," the MSNBC host prompted. "General, what have we learned about the Russian strength of armed forces?"

"This is pretty surprising. tactically," McCaffrey replied. "They have been stupid, drunk, brutal, out-of- control, low morale, bad leadership, bad operational directive and right now in the Kherson area, a better part of 15,000 Russians are stuck north and west of the Dnieper River, and Ukrainians are going to try and take them apart, deliberately, piece by piece."

"They have conducted over 400 artillery strikes over 40 air sorties, that have blown up a lot of ammunition and hit a lot of their command and control. They're doing partisan and special operation attacks deep in the Russian zone," he elaborated. "It is astonishing to me."

"Now, Putin has gotten himself in a box he cannot get out of," he continued. "They are scrambling to make up Russian manpower, he is afraid to conscript Russian city boys and send them off to fight in Ukraine, so he is emptying prisons, he is using contract mercenaries, and it is not going well for him."

 

[Tracker]

Liz Truss Picked To Replace Boris Johnson As U.K. Prime Minister

U.K. Foreign Secretary Liz Truss on Monday won the Tory Leadership contest to succeed Boris Johnson as next Conservative Party leader and take over as the country’s new prime minister.

Truss, who was the frontrunner in the race, defeated former Chancellor Rishi Sunak, securing 81,326 votes, as opposed to Sunak’s 60,399.
Only Conservative Party members were allowed to vote as part of this election, with voting closing Friday afternoon.

In her victory speech, Truss said it was an “honor” to be elected prime minister and pledged to “govern as a conservative.”

“We will deliver a great victory for the Conservative Party in 2024,” she said.
Truss also praised outgoing Prime Minister Johnson. “Boris, you got Brexit done, you crushed Jeremy Corbyn, you rolled out the vaccine and you stood up to Vladimir Putin. You’re admired from Kyiv to Carlisle,” Truss said.

While Sunak secured the support of the biggest amount of members of Parliament going into the race, Truss managed to gain momentum, emerging as the favorite and securing endorsements from prominent conservatives, including Johnson allies.

Truss is set to be appointed by Queen Elizabeth on Tuesday at Balmoral Castle in Scotland, following Johnson’s resignation earlier in the day. The new leader will then fly to London where she will give her first speech as prime minister and announce her new Cabinet.

Sir Keir Starmer, leader of the opposition Labour Party, congratulated Truss on her win but said it’s only his party that can deliver what the country needs at the moment.

“After 12 years of the Tories all we have to show for it is low wages, high prices, and a Tory cost of living crisis,” Starmer wrote on Twitter.

(British Tories following Canadian Tories' example of electing female leaders when bottoming out in the polls and facing an election)

[Tracker]

[Mark H.]

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-62804825

[JCon]

1 hour ago, Mark H. said:

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-62804825

It's like having to go to K-Mart to re-equip your forces. China has done a reasonable job staying out of the conflict, with the threat of sanctions from NATO countries, but I'm sure they're finding ways to get materials to NK to supply the Russians. 

[Tracker]

From reports today. there are some 15,000 Russian troops who are defacto cut off from relief and supplies in the south Donetsk region. The Russian troop morale is abysmally low to start with and if/when these start to surrender, the Ukrainian military will have the sizeable problem of what to do with them. 

[JCon]

1 hour ago, Tracker said:

From reports today. there are some 15,000 Russian troops who are defacto cut off from relief and supplies in the south Donetsk region. The Russian troop morale is abysmally low to start with and if/when these start to surrender, the Ukrainian military will have the sizeable problem of what to do with them. 

Trade them for the children who have been kidnapped. 

[Tracker]

35 minutes ago, JCon said:

Trade them for the children who have been kidnapped. 

Not likely the Russian troops would want to be returned- they would simply be pressed back into service. They've probably had enough already.

[JCon]

10 minutes ago, Tracker said:

Not likely the Russian troops would want to be returned- they would simply be pressed back into service. They've probably had enough already.

It's not really up to them. If it facilitates the exchange, you do it. 

[bustamente]

Reports that drones supplied by Iran to Russia don't often work, hope they kept the receipts.

[Tracker]

                                                 

[iHeart]

it has to do with Boris Johnson's departure

[Tracker]

13 minutes ago, iHeart said:

it has to do with Boris Johnson's departure

Exclusive: Boris Johnson to lead bold revival of British Leyland
Satire

Here's TopGear.com's roving correspondent, Cory Spondent, with his mostly incorrect exclusives from the world of motoring

Boris Johnson is set to unveil a bold new plan that’ll return fabled automotive giant British Leyland back to the forefront of UK car manufacturing.

In his first new role since stepping down as Prime Minister, the outgoing leader of the Conservative party has pledged to restore the much-loved national institution to its former glory, fresh from reviving the UK economy and delivering on every single one of his manifesto promises.

“Much like our successful delivery of 40 new hospitals, it’s time to turn our attention to that other great beast lurking in the shadows; a slumbering lion that we shall awaken to usher in a new golden age of British quality and reliability, hallmarks for which the mighty British Leyland was famous for."
“We shall build it back into the runaway triumph it once was, much like our railway network and our successful rollout of high-speed trains. And it is my track record in government, where we put record funding into schools and teachers’ pay, that’ll see us successfully bring back hugely respected and iron-clad British Leyland models like the Morris Marina, the Princess and the unburstable, unshakable brilliance of the Austin Allegro."

“I will now gently be entering the motoring atmosphere and splashing down conspicuously as the de facto leader of the British car industry. Make no mistake, reinventing the Maestro for a new generation will be tough, but much like that car’s uniquely characterful window seals, we shall break through the very fabric of the industry. If Dilyn and Larry can put behind them their occasional difficulties, then so can the Rover 800 and its relationship with build quality."

“This definitely isn’t it, folks,” Johnson added.

When pushed on what it actually is, a source close to Johnson noted "probably some electricity", but added: “They're still making the K-Series engine, right? We’ll start with that. The boss is on holiday so it’s the best we’ve got for now.”

[iHeart]

oh hell it's that serious

 

Edited September 8, 2022 by iHeart

[johnzo]

On 2022-09-01 at 12:25 PM, blue_gold_84 said:

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-62744522

 

The news about the Uigurs is heartbreaking.  I have no idea what can be done ... capitalist North America is addicted to cheap Chinese goods and cheap Chinese money. 

[Wideleft]

 

 

[Mark F]

I dont follow it much, but seems like putin's army is collapsing. 

I hope  it is true.  Maybe drive him out of Crimea as well.

Then, hopefully, lock him up in a six by six cell for the rest of his life.

 

 

Edited September 9, 2022 by Mark F

[Tracker]

On 2022-09-06 at 8:03 PM, Tracker said:

                                                 

Today was a disastrous day for the Russians. Reports indicate 800 Russian casualties, soldiers fleeing into forests, large amounts of weapons, armoured vehicles and munitions abandoned, Russian forces encircled in pockets, Izyum, Kherson and Kharkiv have either fallen or are almost so. The pace of advance of  Ukrainian forces is accelerating. The ranking Russian general there has been captured. 

[johnzo]

A lot of people wondered if the Kherson attack that the Ukrainians prepared so publicly and carefully was a feint, a play they were running to set up a kill shot elsewhere.

It sure looks like at some point they said "Kherson? Kharkiv? Why not both?"

Slava Ukraini!  Go blue and gold!

Edited September 9, 2022 by johnzo

[bustamente]

The Russian might is for the most part is a myth with poor outdated weaponry and poorly trained forces plus depending on North Korea and Iran to replenish drones and missiles. At this point their nukes would probably explode in their silos.

[johnzo]

1 hour ago, bustamente said:

 At this point their nukes would probably explode in their silos.

if you got a divinity you like, this is a good prayer for them. 

As much as I want to see Russia's ass kicked I got deep worries about what a humiliated nuclear power might do to get its mojo back.

[Tracker]

15 hours ago, johnzo said:

if you got a divinity you like, this is a good prayer for them. 

As much as I want to see Russia's ass kicked I got deep worries about what a humiliated nuclear power might do to get its mojo back.

Russia can do nothing without lethal blowback in several forms.

[Tracker]

                                                 

[Mark F]

3 hours ago, Tracker said:

                                                 

I saw a photo said to be around the kremlin, blocked off.... who knows where Putin is. 

I would like to see him handed over to the International   criminal court. 

 

Edited September 11, 2022 by Mark F